Haris122

Off topic, but I remember a few years back checking out the MDC access near Meramec Caverns, before I went hunting and saw a heap of fish, primarily suckers, that had been killed off and fileted that same way. Just what goes on as far as gigging and sucker populations are concerned that makes it viable to keep doing it with current limits? Not a population biologist, but you figure 20 or so suckers each time by just one person out of 3 or so going along on just one boat for one night, has got to be hitting those things hard. Is it normally much more difficult than that with most folks not getting more than a few throughout the night? Or what's the dynamic there?

Sweet, good info guys.I thought of checking out Lower Tom Sauk lake the second time I went down to Johnson Shut-ins, but in the end I just kept on exploring them instead. Sometimes it's just a real rush to go road-trip someplace new and more remote, and if I do catch some fish on top of that, it's all the sweeter.

Did any of you check out either of those lakes or any ones of similar size (30-300 acre lakes) within 2 hours of St. Louis? And if so what did you guys think as far as success fishing, what kind of fish, layout/design of the lake and available fish habitat, and things such as most commonly encountered depths of the lake are concerned. And what types of fishing the lake/lakes is suitable for (i.e. if it's a place like Simpson park lake, that's pretty big but is kind of restricted in the amount of shore that can be bank-fished from, cause there's a lot of steep brush/woody banks, how careful you'd have to be in boat or kayak, etc, regarding structure that might cause damage). I went to Perry County Community Lake a few weeks back with some friends with a boat, and I figured I scout out some other potential spots similar to it, where maybe I can come across more luck than I had on that trip to Perry County Community Lake.

Interesting. I'll give them more of a try during the day then, next time.

Yeah, we had a few near misses with the barely submerged tree stumps in the deeper ends and stuff, and once we actually went right over one. But thankfully we were heeding the no wake speed thing, and it didn't buck us too bad or tear/scrape the hull much. It definitely seems like a well constructed lake. Nice brush piles, nice cover with the occasional group of stumps, and other vegetation and features. Just we could for the life of us, not catch a break. They got 2 small largemouths, and 1 medium sized bluegill or redear, probably the biggest catch of the day. I caught my fair share of stickbass. Just could not believe how poorly the pickings turned out to be on such a nicely constructed lake. Though we didn't stay much past dark to see what results would come from catfishing.

Anyone ever actually try out the Perry County Community Lake that wrench talked about? I went there recently with some friends, and even though they had a boat that allowed us access to all parts of the lake, I couldn't catch crap. Literally like 6 or 7 hours out there, and I got nothing, and they did barely any better, all of which were small fish, so it wasn't just my usual underachieving while others caught a bunch. It was funny, the MDC report mentioned crappies to be overpopulated and stunted, encouraging people to keep the max of 30 if they can, yet here we were spending all day barely getting 1/10th of that limit between the 3 of us (ok, 2 of them, and me in other words since I got nothing). Still a fun trip and learning experience, nonetheless. Just wish I'd have caught at least one.

As far as balance goes, I don't know if malnutrition is really the cause of this, but at Unger Lake I noticed that in the past few years I've started visiting it, pretty much every winter I end up seeing a higher number than usual of them, washed up on shore. They don't look really starved, but it would make sense that some smaller, more isolated areas just end up running out of enough plankton in the winter months to support larger schools of such large fish, leading at least to a partial population crash. Not a very scientific observation, but it could be a contributor.

I got one a few months back on a Crankbait of all things on Butler Lake near the Meramec. At the time I thought it somehow got perfectly snagged on the mouth so it looked like it actually went for it, but now that I've seen this, I'm thinking it was a legit catch.

I went to lake 33 a few days ago. Plan on trying to again. Couldn't tell you much about any fish caught though. On top of my usual luck I had some Oar hinge issues, that ticked me off good. Thought I was going to end up stuck on the lake in the middle of the night, with one working oar. But I made it back in time.

I went to Johnson Shut ins several weeks ago, and while there those darn things (the horseflies) kept driving me insane. Only thing I really didn't enjoy while down there. Anyways, at one point I decided to make a stand and with the towel I had draped over my back and head to protect me, I started to swat at them, when they would land on this boulder near me. I didn't take out a lot of them, but the few I did, I ended up tossing in the water sadistically waiting for the little sunfish/bluegill to hammer them and drag them into the abyss (abyss being a relative term in this case). A few of them didn't disappoint me, though most were too small to do much more than hit at them on the surface and then back off.

Lol. But on a serious note though, I thought outside of Texas, Missouri included, the castle doctrine only applies inside an actual house or structure of that sort. Not out in the middle of a field or on a river bank. I mean yeah, there's bound to be legal ways that allow someone to protect themselves in those cases, but not something like the castle doctrine.

The floods blew it out after they did that?

Yeah. I just still figure that's such a stupid correlation to make.

In general it's become pretty phony and disappointing. Thought maybe they would turn it around a little, but instead this stupid "comedy" show every night just reinforces how phony it got, especially with the stupid guest appearances of people who either don't factor in this in any way (Mark Cuban, wtf does he have anything to do with sharkweek) or who also conveniently star in their new lineups of utterly shark-unrelated shows. Couldn't just leave it at the commercials for them, could they. Sellouts.

That's a good one.

darn. One hour and fifteen minutes. That's a serious fight.

I did some wade fishing and swimming at red horse yesterday. It's a real nice place. There were a lot of people, and boat traffic there, and I didn't catch anything, but nonetheless it's real nice. I need to check it out a nice hot day, when there aren't too many people around, see if my luck is any better then.

I think last summer I saw someone literally wade from where that little "peninsula" juts out when the water is at normal levels, to the island in the middle of the lake. Didn't seem more than 4 feet deep if that, the entire time.

Yeah water's still seems high from the flooding. I know usually it doesn't reach that far up into the treeline.

Sweet. I've been to Unger heaps of times and yet only thing I ever caught there was 1 nice size Crappie.

I had went to Catawissa a few months back, without any success whatsoever. I thought the place was entirely fished out. Maybe it wasn't, or maybe the recent Meramec flooding was high enough to connect it again with the Meramec.

Still pretty sweet Smallie, and I find the humans about to spawn pretty funny. Reminds me of one of those videos on youtube or somewhere, with that one fishermen that takes his boat straight past this porno shoot on the banks. Anyway,s those fish are still pretty awesome.

I'll check out if I can find any open ones for cheap. If not, I might still go with the enclosed one. Definitely very soon will get me one.

Also headed out yesterday and caught 2 bass on Lake 28, after trying my luck at 21 first. 21 seems really shallow and full of vegetation to the point its really hard to fish on it for me. Anything with a hook or a sinker seems to catch on a bunch of vegetation and bring it along. What do you guys think would be some good techniques for lakes like that one? I'm guessing there's something besides fly fishing that can work there, but can't quite figure out what.

I caught a bass at lake 30 today. That was pretty much it. Saw it stalking Bluegills near the shore, tossed a plastic worm out and got it to go for it. Thought it was a good start, but nothing more hit for the 4 hours I stayed there. The bass was probably the biggest one I caught so far. Around 13-14". I mainly kept trying to see if anything would get it to get hooked again as it continued stalking the bluegill, just kind of as a way for me to see what lures I can really expect to count on, but nothing else worked. Also tried to fool around with the bluegill, but nothing. Those guys just have too small a mouth for me to get them. Kept tossing out a little plastic trout worm, got them nibbling, but never committing enough to really get hooked. That was it. Might have had a bit more luck had I not focused as much on seeing if that bass would get fooled again, but then again I might not have. Also caught my first fish ever at Tilles Park. Just a small bass, but nonetheless, feels good to catch something at a place I tried lots but never had luck in. That heat finally broke my skunking streak.